Midsomer Murders, tv series, 1997-

3. Midsomer Murders

I love this show. It has run since 1997, with Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles, right) as its main character. His Detective Sergeant has changed a few times, but the one in the picture is Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey), my favorite, and he stayed on til series 8. (Just so you know: the British call seasons "series".)

My dear friend Holly introduced me to Midsomer and all its murders years ago! And now Netflix has them all as "watch instantly", which perfectly suits me when I'm in the mood for a quiet, English countryside murder.

Holly and I usually have the worst luck when we pick one of these to watch together though. We usually pick ones where the kids are the killers, or there is a seriously messed up, dirty relationship, or something like that. A lot of the episodes involve sexual relationships and scandals though. This is not a kid's show! But I do like how it isn't too gruesome. When the bodies are too gross, they don't show it. Unlike in Bones, which I love but can't watch while I eat.

But otherwise, I like this show. Barnaby is a totally lovable Inspector, and the episodes are long enough (100 minutes) so that you are very confused and it keeps you guessing til the very end. Actually, the other day I watched one and was proud of myself that I knew who the killer was right off the bat! But I just didn't like the way she looked. I didn't really solve anything.

Lethal Weapon, 1987

Director: Richard Donner

Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover

Um, wow! My parents let me watch this!?!

Okay, it isn't the dirtiest movie out there, and the only nudity is in the first ten minutes: you see a woman's chest and then a little later, Mel's butt. This isn't for kids! I would say it's great for action, because I like Mel Gibson, and he and Danny Glover work so well together as the new partners who hate each other, and then become friends. Language is kind of awful too, but I think this movie might be the best of the series (there are 4) in the language department. The F-word is sprinkled throughout.

Sergeant Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) has recently lost his wife, and lives for the thrill of near-death situations, even contemplating suicide quite often in his sadness. Sgt. Roger Murtaugh (Glover) gets stuck with Riggs as his new partner, and doesn't trust this crazy man with a death wish. But soon, Riggs saves Murtaugh's life, and Murtaugh lets Riggs meet his big family full of wonderful kids, who love Riggs at once. And the two become friends as they fight the bad guys.

It's not as heart-warming as that, but that's basically it. And actually, it was a Christmas movie, so it's supposed to be heartwarming, I guess. And it's nice to watch the other movies in the series, and see how the relationship grows between Riggs and the Murtaughs, and how he becomes part of the family. That's the part I like. They're so sweet!

And in between are lots of fighting, explosions, shooting, and death. Yay!

Note: The director, Richard Donner, sounded very familiar to me, so I looked him up. I found that he also directed Maverick, The Goonies, and the Superman movies! I must have recognized his name from The Goonies, one of the my favorites!